Trump impeachment vote fails overwhelmingly

House Democrats overwhelmingly joined Republicans on Wednesday to defeat an attempt to impeach President Donald Trump. But 58 Democratssupported the bid to consider impeachment over the objections of House Democratic leaders, who viewed the measure as a distraction in a Republican-controlled Congress.

The motion to sideline the measure — killing the effort — was approved 364-58, with four Democrats voting present.

The vote was forced by Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who introduced articles of impeachment describing Trump as a bigot who incites hate and has demeaned the presidency.

"Donald John Trump, by causing such harm to the society of the United States is unfit to be president and warrants impeachment, trial and removal from office," Green said on the House floor as he introduced the articles.

But Green, a seven-term, Houston-area lawmaker, said his conscience compelled him to push forward with the measure, even though he acknowledged he was unlikely to succeed.

“Now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment,” Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said in a joint statement, shortly after Green introduced his articles of impeachment.

The White House quickly dismissed the effort, labeling Green and his allies "extremists."

“It’s disappointing that extremists in Congress still refuse to accept the President’s decisive victory in last year’s election," spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement. "Their time would be better spent focusing on tax relief for American families and businesses, and working to fund our troops and veterans through the holiday season rather than threaten a government shutdown.”

Pelosi and her top allies urged Democrats to help bottle up the measure during a closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.

But Green offered the proposal as a so-called privileged motion, a procedural tactic that allows a single member to force a vote. He had flirted with forcing a vote on articles of impeachment in October but backed away amid pressure from Democratic leaders at the time. Republican leaders then moved to "table" the motion, a procedural step to bottle it up indefinitely.

Green’s articles of impeachment cite Trump’s remarks in the aftermath of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, as well as his attacks on Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) and his repeated criticism of NFL players who have protested abuses by police officers by kneeling during the national anthem.

“Friends, whether we like it or not, we now have a bigot in the White House who incites hatred and hostility,” he wrote in a letter to colleagues on Tuesday.

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Veritas-Semper

How pitiful! The 58 leftard bigots headed by Green bigot stir the impeachment genie in Congress.

Get a grip! Trump won over a year ago and the leftards in the media and the entire security apparatus have been digging up dirt (and paying for dirt) to undermine the President, ever since. All that “work” and what do they have to show for it? Nada.

So, they – the leftard bigots – start name calling the President and stir up the impeachment genie as they foam at the mouth. Get a grip! There are drugs to treat your symptoms, you know…

Posted on 12/6/17 | 9:14 PM CET

glasspix 1

Who needs elections when we have Al Green’s conscience and Nancy Pelosi to tell us who is a bigot and who is not. Lets vote again until we get a candidate anointed by the self-appointed righteous smug sneerers, who will graciously liberate us uneducated plebs from the heavy burden of choosing our representatives.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 9:31 PM CET

Jodocus5

Well, just keep trying. There must be a point where the damage unhinged and puerile Dirty Donald is doing to the US outweighs conservative prejudice. Never mind his proven track record of sexual harassment. Never mind his thoroughly unethical conduct in keeping control of his firm, not disclosing his tax records, and open nepotism.

For example when his emails and financial accounts are examined and evidence of collusion with a foreign power are found.

Or when the electorate finally realise what dismantling healthcare does to them. Or when Pres. Tweety drags them into a nuclear war with North Korea. Or when people actually realise that the Republicans just fueled an enormous economic bubble (again). Or when people realise how much his gross ineptitude in foreign affairs is actually costing the US.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 10:31 PM CET

Bob

Legally, an impeachment is nothing like a vote of no confidence. Impeachment requires proof of “high crimes and misdemeanors” — an untested standard that is generally viewed as requiring what amounts to proof of a felony. Merely alleging that the president is a bad person is not enough.

Posted on 12/6/17 | 10:59 PM CET

Corni

Astonishing to display such a blatant infantile attitude, speaks tons about the kind of reps ‘representing’ constituents. Bad karma for 2018.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 12:02 AM CET

dc

Good that while this comedy was unfolding real criminals were still being put in jail:
“VW executive Oliver Schmidt sentenced to seven years in jail over Dieselgate”

Posted on 12/7/17 | 12:30 AM CET

Mike Schwarzer

It’s coming

Posted on 12/7/17 | 1:24 AM CET

Nathan Kennedy

It may have failed this time, but the fact that the vote even took place tells you everything you need to know about Trump.

Posted on 12/7/17 | 6:25 AM CET

Alexandre

Would the 58 loosers, who tried to incite hate and failed miserably, resign after this defeat?
How can they be expected now to act in good faith?